Notable Quotables - 10/01/1990

Published: 10/1/1990 12:00 AM ET

Silber 1, Media
0

"A firestorm of
controversy over the latest 'shocker' from Boston University
president-on-leave John Silber has seemingly doomed his challenge to former
state Attorney General Francis X. Bellotti for the Democratic
nomination."
- Washington Post political reporter David Broder after Silber
referred to "drug addicts" in a poor area of Boston, September 14
Post. Four days later Silber won by 10 points.

"Whether Silber is
right about any or all of this doesn't matter. What does matter is that Silber
once had a golden opportunity to be Governor of Massachusetts and today might
have a difficult time beating Dukakis if he were running."
- Boston Globe TV critic Ed Siegel after Silber reacted angrily to
media attack on his comments, September 13 Globe.

"It was an
extraordinary performance, almost as sensational and ruinous as the acts of
Buddhist monks in Saigon who once set themselves on fire in front of cameras
in an ultimate statement of protest. By reaching a white-hot intensity, Silber
probably frightened away voters who represented his last possibility to win
new support."
- Boston Globe reporter Curtis Wilkie, same day.

Wounded Himself
to Victory

"In the governor's
race, Silber gave a voice to the more conservative and disaffected Democrats
but wounded himself repeatedly through a series of intemperate remarks, most
recently last week when he compared the residents of a predominantly black
area of Boston to a 'group of drug addicts', then refused to apologize."
- Washington Post Boston correspondent Christopher Daly, the day
after the primary.

Calling for
Gorby to Resign?

Civil Rights
Mean Abortion Rights

"Although warmly
received by the committee, Souter's testimony did little to allay the fears of
some civil rights leaders."
- ABC legal correspondent Tim O'Brien introducing soundbite of National
Abortion Rights Action League leader Kate Michelman, September 13 World
News Tonight.

David
Souter:
Nerd or Neanderthal?

"Supreme Court
nominee David Souter wants the world to stop viewing him as a nerd. Senate
Democrats want to know if, instead, Souter is a neanderthal - a mean-spirited
conservative bent on wrecking constitutional protections for women,
minorities, and accused criminals."
- Beginning of September 13 USA Today cover story by legal reporter
Tony Mauro.

George Bush's
America

"Bush may have the
'vision thing' when it comes to foreign policy, a clear idea of what he likes
to call a 'new world order.' But he hasn't shown much vision when it comes to
solving the domestic problems of a racially divided and drug-ridden country on
the verge of a recession."
- Newsweek Washington Bureau Chief Evan Thomas and reporter Ann
McDaniel, September 24.

Which Way
Albania?

"Attempting to
defect will no longer be a severely punishable offense, but will be known as
'border trespass,' subject only to a minor penalty. And the death penalty, now
applied to 34 offenses, will be retained only for those that involve direct
'betrayal' of the communist state and the social order."
- Christian Science Monitor correspondent Eric Bourne, September 12.

"A reminder from
Eastern Europe today that not all has changed. In Albania today, border guards
shot and killed a four-year-old girl when they opened fire on a group of
Albanians trying to cross into Yugoslavia. Albania is the last of the
totalitarian states in Eastern Europe."
- Peter Jennings on World News Tonight, same day.

Capital Gains
Hostility

"The Republicans
are pushing for a capital gains tax cut, which would help the wealthy. The
Democrats are saying that they are tired of tax breaks for the wealthy.
They're tired of tax policy that would hurt the middle class. And that's where
you see the two parties divided....During the past 8 years, the Reagan
Administration had this David Stockman trickle-down philosophy....That's been
a dominant philosophy in Washington and it hasn't helped. That is what led us
to the fiscal situation that we find ourselves in today, and [Democrats] have
just drawn the line. They aren't going to take it anymore."
- Time reporter Nancy Traver on the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour,
September 19.

>"With the budget
negotiations in full swing, Bush might have used the Persian Gulf crisis, and
its attendant spike in popularity, to defuse the gathering force of the
progressivity issue by pointing to the new burden and calling for sacrifice
from those most able to shoulder it. Instead, he chose to make one last run at
a supply-side capital gains tax cut - more than 80 percent of which would
accrue to Americans who earn $100,000 or more."
- Washington Post political reporter Paul Taylor in a Sunday
"Outlook" section article, September 16.

"Negotiators for
President Bush and Congress are still debating tonight what to do about the
national debt. The latest sticking point: President Bush's insistence on
cutting the capital gains tax for mostly wealthy Americans."
- Dan Rather on the September 18 CBS Evening News.

"No one would
argue...with his insistence that the mix of spending cuts and tax hikes 'must
be fair; all should contribute.' But when the President got to specifics,
fairness became scarce. In the name of promoting economic growth, Bush renewed
his support of six tax giveaways that would cost the Treasury an estimated $30
billion over five years. The most notable of these would cut the maximum levy
on capital gains from 33% to 15%."
- Time Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Laurence Barrett, September
24.

Saddam's Staged
Support

"In his speech, Mr.
Bush tried to drive a wedge between Saddam and his people. But it may have
backfired. When the broadcast was over, thousands were on the street
denouncing the American President and praising Saddam. The fact that these
rallies are staged does not mean Saddam lacks genuine support, and by
attacking him, President Bush could very well have strengthened the garrison
mentality of a nation that takes pride in standing up against its enemy."
- CBS reporter Bert Quint, September 17 Evening News.

Touche, Mr.
Toupee

Sam Donaldson:
"Senator, you're from the great textile-producing state of South
Carolina. Is it true you have a Korean tailor?"Sen. Ernest Hollings:
"Well, I tell you the truth, I think I got that suit, this is not the
one, but the same place right down the street where - if you want to
personalize this thing - where you got that wig, Sam."
- Exchange on This Week with David Brinkley, September 16.

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